Guess the Expansion: After Shadowbringers Contest

[Seraphor]

Another gun dps job is about as likely as another bow dps job.

The parallel drawn with 'swords' is always a weak one, because that's more or less a quirk of the english language.
Ultimately a katana is not just 'a sword', it's a katana. Even a rapier is not just 'a sword'.
Swords are so varied they have their own classifications, which are typically double-handed, shortswords, thrusting (edge-less) swords, single-edge swords, and then various outliers with different regional classifications such as katana.

They are all bladed weapons, just as a gun and a bow are both projectile weapons. This is where the classification is focused, and why we're not likely to get another gun wielding dps job. You simply wouldn't be able to differentiate weapon models enough to justify it being reused for another job. MCH already claims many different types of gun model, including pistols, shotguns and rifles. Similar to how Paladin has various forms of shortsword; longswords, scimitars, spatha, etc.

Plus, what would this new gun job do that MCH doesn't? Fire more bullets?

The only hope I see for another gun job, is in a different role. Tanks already fill this niche via Gunbreaker, so it would have to be a Healer, Chemist perhaps.

[Iscah]

Just for fun but...

Title: 'Forespoken' (means to enchant, put under a spell) in JP 'Bonds of a Burning Soul' (a bonded soul, basically the same thing as under a spell, both allude to Tempering)

Whatever the title "Bonds of a Burning Soul" is intended to be for, it seems more likely to be linked to the shorter title "A Hero's Bonds". Either it's JP/EN for the same title or they could be a pair for 5.5 and 5.55.

(Did they trademark "Jet Black Villains" alongside Shadowbringers? Do they need to do that?)


As for "Forespoken", there are a few things to pick apart there, starting with the spelling.

The rumoured title is Forspoken, no "e", making it an entirely different prefix.

"Forespoken" would be something akin to "foretold" or prophesied.

Since the title Forspoken was rumoured, people have been passing around the definition that it means to "enchant or put under a spell" but that's a simplified version of what it could mean - and not the right tense.

Wiktionary gives a few different definitions for forspeak:

From Middle English forspeken (“to bewitch”), from Old English forspecan, forsprecan (“to speak in vain; to speak amiss; to denounce; to deny”)

1. (transitive, dialectal, Northern England and Scotland) To injure or cause bad luck through immoderate praise or flattery; to affect with the curse of an evil tongue, which brings ill luck upon all objects of its praise.
2. (transitive, obsolete) To bewitch, to charm.
3. (transitive, obsolete) To forbid, to prohibit; to oppose. [15th–19th c.]
4. (transitive, obsolete) To say bad things about; to slander.

"To bewitch" is in there, but it seems tangled up in more meanings of to curse or condemn. Combined with the etymology, it conjures up something ominous - to forbid, forbear, forswear, forsake, forget.

Enchantment seems like too airy a word for it.

[Iscah]

The parallel drawn with 'swords' is always a weak one, because that's more or less a quirk of the english language.
Ultimately a katana is not just 'a sword', it's a katana. Even a rapier is not just 'a sword'.
Swords are so varied they have their own classifications, which are typically double-handed, shortswords, thrusting (edge-less) swords, single-edge swords, and then various outliers with different regional classifications such as katana.

So classify paladin's weapon as something more specific than "a sword". They're distinct from the other styles of long bladed weapons that other classes use. "It's not just a sword, it's a longsword." Gladiators got a lot of different types but then they edged away from short swords once ninja was introduced as wielding daggers.

It still means we have multiple classes wielding something that could be called a sword.

Also, MCH has some weapons that are basically gunblades and that hasn't stopped them from making that a separate thing either.

MCH already claims many different types of gun model, including pistols, shotguns and rifles. Similar to how Paladin has various forms of shortsword; longswords, scimitars, spatha, etc.

Plus, what would this new gun job do that MCH doesn't? Fire more bullets?

The vast majority of MCH guns are long guns and the occasional pistols look awkward perched up on the shoulder. As with PLD phasing out short swords, MCH just wouldn't get those occasional pistols any more because that design idea can go to the other class.

As for distinction, make it dual-wield pistols instead of a single long gun, or go for a pistol/cutlass corsair. Return to the "straight shooting" style we can't get from MCH any more. Give it a different flair.

It's not necessarily likely but it can't be dismissed out of hand.

[Seraphor]

They often try to give the titles multiple meanings and use them several times in the expansion. The Heavens Ward, and travelling 'heavensward', for example.

So I can easily see all of those definitions applying in some way.
“to speak in vain; to speak amiss; to denounce; to deny” we end up denouncing Hydaelyn.
"to bewitch, charm, cause bad luck, curse" the Telophoroi and their act of tempering the masses to Garlemald.
And "to oppose" is probably too simplistic to even explain.

Yes. Shadowbringers was also trademarked as Jet-black Villains.
As was Stormblood, as Liberators of the Crimson Lotus.
Heavensward was Blue Skies of Ishgard.
So I could see Bond of a Burning Soul fitting in quite well there.
Plus that's where the 'burning' could fit in. The rest all reference a colour, so I would expect whatever the japanese trademarked title is to include an adjective that references a colour in some capacity. Nenshō which means burning, can also mean to glow and could refer to a yellow/gold glow of burning embers, which could just about suffice. Otherwise, none of the trademarked titles fit.

[Iscah]

So I can easily see all of those definitions applying in some way.
“to speak in vain; to speak amiss; to denounce; to deny” we end up denouncing Hydaelyn.
"to bewitch, charm, cause bad luck, curse" the Telophoroi and their act of tempering the masses to Garlemald.
And "to oppose" is probably too simplistic to even explain.

Past tense though - something that has already been condemned, cursed or prohibited.

It could be Zodiark. It could be the Sound.

The bewitched could still be the tempered or it could reach back to the Final Days.


As for colour scheme, I like the "time of day" theme theory so we have had day (blue/Heavensward), sunset (red/Stormblood), night (black/Shadowbringers) and it seems like we're due for dawn.

[Cilia]

The problem with a "Dual Gunner" job is there's no reason to add one in and no way to make it distinct from MCH other than taking out the automaton(s). There's already one gun-toting job; why would another be necessary, and how would its playstyle significantly differ? (No, I don't consider the argument that GLA / PLD used to use shortswords / knives before ROG / NIN came along as being particularly strong. Yes, they could do this, but why would they?)

Hem. Assuming the title "Forspoken" is indeed the name of the next expansion, the first meaning is the one that jumps out to me most; Danny Boy is obviously flattering everyone as much as he can, and absolutely nothing good is going to come of it. The secondary meaning I will wager, "to bewitch / charm," may come into play as the Scions are dispatched to investigate and end up getting tempered by Danny Boy's towers, thus giving our impetus to sally forth and oppose Zenos and Danny Boy directly.

"Bonds of a Burning Soul" would vis-a-vis have the double meaning of our bonds with the Scions and Zenos' bond with us, both of which would be focal points of the story in addition to the "saving the world from the End of Days" business Danny Boy's decided to stir up.

... assuming those titles are indeed the EN / JP titles of the next expansion, anyway.

[Fenral]

The Japanese title must needs include the expansion's theme color. Heavensward was blue (Ishgard of Blue Skies), Stormblood was red (Crimson Liberator), Shadowbringers was black (Jet-black Villains). So if it doesn't include a color, it's probably not the expansion's Japanese title. My money's on white, to contrast with Shadowbringers' black, but I suppose green and gold are also likely. (Watch it be purple.)

[Theodric]

Expansion Name: Forspoken.
Location: Sharlayan and Ilsabard.
Cap: 85
8-Player Raid: Tower of Babil.
24-Player Raid: Lea Monde. Vagrant Story inspired and a continuation of the ongoing Ivalice storyline.
Job: Chemist, Healer that uses a rifle to damage enemies and heal allies.
Job 2: Judge, Melee DPS. Uses twin swords and ceruleum in combat.
Cutscene Job: Red Mage.
Release Date: August 2021.

[Hank_Hotspur]

I think if we ever see the Musketeer job in the game it will feature a gun and blade pair like Rostnsthal has (the pirate invited to teach marksmanship to the new Machinists in Ishgard). In my own theory I would expect a job that is bizarro-Red Mage, using close range blade attacks to build up to spend on gun abilities and would perhaps use scouting gear. The weapon itself would be a paired "blade and gun" much like ninja blades or red mage rapier and focus, so no using the offhand slot (which the devs seem reticent to use, outside of paladins being grandfathered in). That way they could have thematic paired models, like a cutlass and flintlock for the piratical inclined or tomahawk and revolver for something more frontier-ish. That way they can have a "musketeer" that lives up both to the actual name as well as the popularized image of swordsmen featured in The Three Musketeers.

Theorycrafting aside, I do wonder with everyone's guessing of what new jobs expansion will have are missing a certain "wow" factor. I've come to the idea we won't see an expansion without a job that doesn't have a sell-able popular image. For Heavensward, we had the Dark Knight with it's cool dark armor and Cloud Strife-like sword. For Stormblood, it was the katana-wielding Samurai or the active, sharp-dressed swordplay of the Red Mage. Finally, Shadowbringers had the first glimpse of a newly featured job being a man in a cool trench coat slicing up a winged lion with a gunblade (popularized by Squall). So while I think peoples ideas of a Chemist healer or a bell-wielding Geomancer are right at home for a Final Fantasy game, I do wonder if they are seen as "marketable" like a cool actiony blade job.

[Kesey]

Another gun dps job is about as likely as another bow dps job.

If the Ranger class is ever added, I would assume as a physical range, it could just use a crossbow. But I guess it is just as likely to use blow darts or a boomerang.